Stem Cells, Wellness and Claims Substantiation Take Center Stage at IFSCC Congress

By: Rachel L. Grabenhofer

Posted: October 24, 2012

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Parson's presentation was dedicated in memory of the late Johann Wiechers. "We were all shattered by his passing," said Parsons. "He was a true scientist and long-time friend." Chair of the IFSCC Steering Committee, Roy Gardiner, then welcomed attendees, thanked scientists in the industry for taking the time to present their research and declared the congress open. The evening came to a close with a networking cocktail reception.

Stem Cells

Stem cells remain one of the biggest trends in cosmetics research, albeit from different angles. While some have focused on plant stem cells for the sustainable production of natural ingredients, others aim to activate actual skin stem cells for various effects. Both were the focus of IFSCC presentations. Mike Farwick of Evonik, for instance, presented Cyanidium caldarium algae extract for anti-aging effects on epidermal fibroblasts. His work focused on the signals sent to skin stem cells to continue the cell renewal process. The described algae extract was shown to increase hyaluronic acid production and delivery to the extracellular matrix. "Its effects were equal to that of the retinol positive control," said Farwick. During the Q&A session, one attendee asked whether its mechanism of action was cause for regulatory concern, to which Farwick replied: "No, it's a natural ingredient."

Orange stem cells were presented by Bianca Martinez-Teipel of Provital for their ability to "organize the skin matrix." She noted the importance of producing the cells under controlled conditions, and that this method saved some 98% of the water typically consumed by orange plants. In addition, Tsutomu Soma of the Shiseido Research Center explored the multifunctional roles of dermal stem cells in cutaneous homeostasis.

Wellness

Interest in wellness in personal care and related research earned this subject a congress session of its own. I. Iwai from Shiseido examined, via advanced techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction, how the stratum corneum structure is fundamentally rearranged by the continuous cycle of a dry skin state, follwed by application of skin care products, and the drying out of skin again. The physical and mental effects of cosmetic therapy for the elderly were considered by M. Shirato, also of Shiseido, as well as clinical and psychological studies of cosmetics and well aging, presented by Philippe Masson of Evic France.

Takeo Imai of Kao Corp. predicted future facial appearances based on current appearance using 3-D analysis and polygon modeling. According to Imai, "the aim of this study was to clarify cues for age perception in adulthood." This work identified clusters of certain characteristics that could be grouped into four main types related to the size of eyes, lips, cranial facial form, etc., which ultimately could be used to provide consultative information for choosing customized product types.